CFDA ANNOUNCES 2010 CFDA FASHION AWARDS NOMINEES & HONOREES

March 18, 2010

FOR THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW, SWAROVSKI GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITES THE EVENING

Popular Vote Sponsored by L’OréalParis Returns

NEW YORK, March 18, 2010 – Last night, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced the nominations for the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards at an exclusive event hosted by NadjaSwarovski and Diane von Furstenberg at the designer’s studio in the Meatpacking District. The 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards winners will be announced at the annual gala, generously underwritten by Swarovski, on June 7 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

The nominees for Womenswear Designer of the Year Award reflect the depth of accomplishment and enduring influence of American fashion, ranging from the rising talent of Alexander Wang to the modern vision of Marc Jacobs to the timeless iconoclasm of Donna Karan.

The Menswear Designer of the Year nominees are: Michael Bastian, Tom Ford, and Marcus Wainwright & David Nevillefor Rag & Bone. For Accessory Designer of the Year Award the nominees are: Alexis Bittar, LazaroHernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler, and Marc Jacobs.

Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, and Jason Wu have been nominated for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear. The nominees for the Swarovski Awardfor Menswear are Richard Chai, Patrik Ervell, and Simon Spurr. For the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design, the nominees are Eddie Borgo, Dana Lorenz, and Alexander Wang. The Swarovski Award recipients in each category will receive generous financial support from Swarovski as well as exposure to the company’s vast and innovative Swarovski crystal resources.

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Michael Kors.

The CFDA Board of Directorschose to honor Alexander McQueen with their Special Tribute Award.

“Swarovski is pleased to announce our sponsorship of the CFDA Fashion Awards for the ninth consecutive year,” said Nadja Swarovski, vice president of International Communications, Swarovski. “We have a long-lasting and ongoing commitment to emerging talent in the fashion industry and The CFDA Fashion Awards provides the perfect platform for our mission to embrace and foster young designers with immense and unique creative abilities. These relationships allow Swarovski to not only be one of fashion’s most prestigious global brands, but also a significant part of the industry’s future.”

The nominees and honorees were selected by the CFDA membership, press, retailers and stylists. The nominees, as well as recipients of the honorary awards, were confirmed yesterday at a meeting of the CFDA Board of Directors. The final votes will be tabulated by Ernst & Young LLP, the official accounting firm of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards.

This year will again feature The Popular Vote Award sponsored by L’Oréal Paris, giving the public the opportunity to vote for its favorite designer. The online site, hosted by Women’s Wear Daily, will present looks from designers of womenswear, menswear, and accessory design and includes a write in option.

The winners will be announced at the June 7 Awards gala.

The 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards will be produced by KCD and art directed by Laird + Partners.

Continental Airlines is the Awards’ official airline and W Hotels Worldwide is the official hotel.

About the CFDA – The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association whose membership consists of more than 340 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, accessory and jewelry designers. CFDA Foundation, Inc. is a separate not-for-profit organization, which was organized to raise funds for charity and industry activities. www.cfda.com

About Swarovski – In 1895, Daniel Swarovski I, a Bohemian inventor and visionary, moved to the village of Wattens, Tyrol in Austria, with his newly-invented machine for cutting and polishing crystal jewellery stones. From this beginning that revolutionised the fashion world, Swarovski has grown to be the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystal, for fashion, jewellery and more recently lighting, architecture and interiors. Today, the company, still based in Wattens, family-owned and run by 4th and 5th generation family members, has a global reach, with some 23.900 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2008 of 2.52 billion Euros. Swarovski comprises two major businesses, one producing and selling loose elements to the industry and the other creating design-driven finished products. Swarovski crystal components, known by their product brand names CRYSTALLIZED(tm) – Swarovski Elements for fashion and STRASS® Swarovski® Crystal for architecture and light, have become an essential ingredient of international design. Since 1965 the company has also catered to the fine jewellery industry with precision-cut genuine and created gemstones, and from April 2008 has strengthened this relationship by revitalising and renaming the product brand ENLIGHTENEDTM – Swarovski Elements. Showing the creativity that lies at the heart of the company, Swarovski’s own-brand lines of accessories, jewellery and home décor are sold through more than 1,600 retail outlets in all major fashion capitals. The exclusive Daniel Swarovski accessories collection has meanwhile become the company’s couture signature. The Swarovski Crystal Society has close to 350,000 members worldwide, keen collectors of the celebrated crystal figurines. And in Wattens, Swarovski Kristallwelten, the multi-media crystal museum, was opened in 1995, as a celebration of Swarovski’s universe of innovation and inspiration. The Swarovski corporation also includes Tyrolit®, manufacturing grinding tools, Swareflex, for road safety reflectors and Swarovski Optik, producing precision optical instruments.

About L’Oréal Paris – The L’Oréal Paris division of L’Oréal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L’Oréal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – haircolor, haircare, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Féria and Healthy Look haircolor; Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L’Oréal Kids haircare; Revitalift, Age Perfect, Ideal Skin Genesis, Collagen, Sublime Bronze and Men’s Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Bare Naturale and Studio Secrets Professional cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others. For more information on L’Oréal Paris and its brands, and to get comprehensive, personalized beauty information from the experts, visit www.lorealparis.com for access to unique content and dynamic interactive features, including the exclusive “Can I Help You” diagnostic tool.

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of women’s ready-to-wear fashion with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2010 Nominees:

Marc JacobsDonna KaranAlexander Wang

Menswear Designer of the Year:

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of men’s ready-to-wear fashion with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2010 Nominees:

Michael BastianTom Ford

Marcus Wainwright & David Neville for Rag & Bone

Accessory Designer of the Year:

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of accessory design with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in womenswear design with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2010 Nominees:Joseph AltuzarraPrabal GurungJason Wu

Swarovski Award for Menswear:

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in menswear design with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2010 Nominees:Richard ChaiPatrik ErvellSimon Spurr

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design:

Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in accessory design with his or her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2010 Nominees:

Eddie BorgoDana LorenzAlexander Wang

HONOREE AWARDS:

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award:

Awarded for a lifetime of consistent, creative influence and dedication to fashion.

2010 Honoree: Michael Kors

Eugenia Sheppard Award:

Awarded to a writer, photographer, or editor who has used his or her craft to further the profession of fashion reporting and coverage, or to a creative director, fashion editor, stylist, or artist whose exceptional creativity has shaped fashion visually.

2010 Honoree: Kim Hastreiter, Paper

International Award:

Awarded to a designer working outside of America who has made an outstanding creative contribution to the world of fashion.

2010 Honoree: Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Board of Directors’ Special Tribute:

A special tribute by the Board of Directors of the CFDA, given from time to time to acknowledge significant contributions and commitment to fashion.

2010 Honoree: Alexander McQueen

Fashion Icon Award:

Awarded to an individual whose signature style has had a profound influence on fashion.

2010 Honoree: Iman

Eleanor Lambert Award:

Awarded for a unique contribution to the world of fashion.

2010 Honoree: Tonne Goodman, Vogue

Ernst & Young LLP is the official accounting firm of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards.